After a knight in King Arthur's court rapes a young maiden, the queen and ladies of the court decide to give the knight one year to study women and learn about a woman's greatest desire in order to avoid a beheading, which was the usual punishment for such behavior. Just as the year is almost over the knight sees young maidens in a field who suddenly disappear as he approaches them; in their place all he sees is an old woman who agrees to save his life and help him understand women if he agreed to a deal with her. The old lady tells the knight that woman's greatest desire is control over their husband, which is the correct answer to the queen's question.